Post-Retirement Careers for Players

Most sports stars fear retirement, but many make it rewarding and exiting. Here are the most popular careers for retired players.

1. Officials/Administrators

There are many ex-players who prefer to use their knowledge in sports and move on to become match officials and administrators. Former Indian spinner Anil Kumble and Sri Lankan World Cup winning Arjuna Ranatunga have made an impact as administrators. Former Indian hockey skipper Pargat Singh is another rising sports administrator. There are also many who took the challenge of umpiring. Current ICC Panel Umpire Kumar Dharmasena and former elite umpire Srinivas Venkataraghavan were successful cricketers for Sri Lanka and India respectively.

2. Acting

Some ex-players prefer the glamour world and prefer acting. In fact, many of them succeeded in creating their own identity as actors. Former professional bodybuilder and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film icon. Former WWE star Dwayne Johnson or The Rock has appeared in several blockbuster Hollywood movies. Our own former WWE star Dalip Singh Rana or The Great Khali has acted in four Hollywood films and two Bollywood films.

3. Politics

We often complain about politicians flooding sports administration. However, there are many ex-players who have taken the political route. Former cricketer Imran Khan is already a very popular politician in Pakistan. Former cricketers Mohammed Azharuddin, Navjot Singh Sidhu and Kirti Azad have already made their presence felt inside the Indian Parliament. Olympic gold medal winning athlete Sabestian Coe is a member of the British House of Lords. Former professional bodybuilder and Republican Arnold Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 to 2011.

4. Commentator/Media Experts

Ex-players as commentators are a common sight in almost all sports channels. It is one of the highly paid post-retirement jobs for a player. Generally known faces with good communication skills are taken on contract as commentators. Some popular ex-players in the commentary box are — Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Geoffrey Boycott in cricket; and Vijay Amritraj and Jimmy Connors in tennis. Meanwhile, there are many who opt for or get invited to news channels as experts. It is generally a short term contract. Some known ex-players who took up such a role are cricketers Murali Kartik and Anjum Chopra, sprinter Ashwini Nachappa and hockey star Viren Rasquina.

5. Coaching

Coaching has always been the most popular and successful career for retired players. Former Indian coaches — Gary Kirsten, Greg Chappell and John Wright were successful former cricketers who took up coaching after retirement. Diego Maradona in football and Pullela Gopichand in badminton are doing the same.